Pencil.



W. H. BLAKE.

PENCIL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 11, 1913.

Patented Nov. 7,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lll/ffii bmm W. Hl. BLAKE. PENCIL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1l, 1913.

Ptented Nov. 7, 1916.

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UWE/WOR WITH/8858 Y? TTOHNEY Arr sae raf-raar raten.

WILLIAM H. BLAKE, 0F JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

PENCIL.

Application led November 11, 1913.

of the lead may require; and an object of this invention is to provide a pencil of the type just referred to which will be simple in construction, comparatively cheap in manufacture and eliicient and durable 1n operation and use.

Another object of this invention is to pro-l vide a pencil of the character just set forth with mechanism by which the lead will be firmly gripped and which may be released to permit the free feeding of the lead.

A third object of this invention is the pro- Vision in a pencil of the character hereinbefore described of means for holding the lead-feeding mechanism normally inoperative.

A fourth object of this invention is to provide a pencil of the kind hereinbefore mentioned which may be readily assembled and dismantled.

A fifth object of this invention is to provide with a receptacle for spare leads a pencil in which the lead is mechanically fed.

A sixth object of this invention is the provision in a pencil of the character hereinbefore referred to with novel means for housing suitable pencil-Sharpener.

Other features of my invention will be set forth in the description and claims which follow hereinafter.

ln the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that' principle, Figure l is a central longitudinal section through my new pencil; Fig. 2 is a similar section through the front or pencil end; Fig. 8 is a section on the line A-A of Fig. l; Fig. 4 is a detail showing vthe casing eX- tension and the lead-feeding spindle; Fig. 5

Specification of Letters Patent. Pal-@ntd Nov, "Z, 1916,

Serial No. 800,255.

is a detail showing the connection-piece; Fig. 6 is a detail showing the eraser ends of the jaw-carrying guide-tube and its inclosing sheath; Fig. 7 is a detail showing in plan the j :iw-carrying guide-tube, the sheath mounted thereon and the lead-holder arranged therein; Fig. 8 is an end view of the pencil-sharpener; Fig. 9 illustrates a modiiied form of this invention, parts being broken away to disclose the interior construction; Figs. 10 and 11 show in elevation the clutch-members; Fig. l2 illustrates an` other modified form of this invention, parts being broken away for the sake of clearness in illustrating the interior parts; Fig.. 13 is a detail illustrating the lead-holder with ,the lead mounted therein; and Fig. 14 illustrates a modification hereinafter referred to.

The central body portion 0L of the casing is formed with a reduced exterior-threaded projection at each end. Upon the reduced threaded projection a at the front or writing end there is `screwed a hollow conicalshaped nose-piece b provided with a substantially cylindrical bushing 0,' and upon the reduced threaded portion a at the butt or eraser-end there is screwed a casing eX- tension-piece or tailpiece ai which is in the form of a cylinder closed at one end d" and having in the latter a central opening d. Between the front end of the exteriorthreaded projection fr and an annular' shoulder or ledge L" formed upon the interior of the nose-piece there is provided a cupshaped bushing c formed with a central aperture e in its base e. Within the bodj7 a of the casing there is mounted a guidetube f the enlarged front-end of which is split to form spring-jaws g, the base g of which jaws slopes rearwardly and inwardly toward the tube f so that this base g is conical in shape `and forms an enlargement upon the front .or writing end of the guide-tube f. The jaws 57 are formed with lips g which grip the lead 7c. The guide-tube f is incased in a tubular sheath zof sheet-metal (or other suitable material); and at its front end this sheath is provided with a collar z'. The jawed guide-tube f is formed with a lengthwise-extending slot and the sheath it is likewise formed `with a similar slot h; and normally these slots 7', L, are in reg- 2O I mouth of the bushing c, whereby the springj aws g are closed toward each lother so as.

ister with each other. The edge portions it ofthe walls of the slot L are doubled back or folded inward 0n themselves (Fig. 3) to form .guideways or guide-channels kx in-which are held frictionally the edge portions f of the walls of theslot f, so thatthe guide-tube f and its sheathjt normally move together both lengthwise. and rotatably. v

Between the collar z' andthe base of the cup-shaped bushing e there is interposed a coil-spring j which normally presses the tubular sheath it (and through it they jawed guide-tube f) rearwardly or inwardly toward the eraser-end of the pencil, wherebythe conical base g of the jaws g is caused to bear or rub against the annular Wall at the mouth or front end of the bushingv c. Thus there lis produceda cam action between the sloping base g Vof the jaws g and the to cause the lips g to grip firmly the lead la. The leadc is carried by alead-:carrier m the front en d of which is forked or formed with'a recess m adapted to receive the flattened' buttjend mx of thelead, while the heel end of the lead-'carrier m is formed with a pair of laterally-extending lugs m that project normally through the' slots f', L lof-v the'guide-tub'le f and its lsheath rand engage la,threadaX formed upon the interior of the body (1r/ofthe casing. lt is obvious from this construction that, if the lead-carrier m be turned relatively to the body a., `the engagementof the lugs m with the thread ax will Ycause lengthwise movement Vof the leadcarrier and, therefore, of the lead itself. The lead-carrier m -is turned by turning the tubular shea-th 7L, VAthrough the -slot L A-which project the lugs m,'and the. guide tube f, together with' its sheath L, is turned throughthe'agency or. medium ofa multiis hollow and, at its rearl end 0,.is threaded part spindle n. The .rearend of'this spindle is in the form of a clutch-member o which j and, at its front end,v is formed with a head o slotted longitudinally at o".

lBetween the threaded end o and the slotted head othere is formed upon the clutch-f member 0 a boss p, having clutch-lingers p which extend lengthwise 'and rearwardly.

' The interior of thesocket-like extension `d of the casing is formed with a number of longitudinal grooves g. between which are ribs. '95,' L and the vclutch -ingers p arel adapted to enter the grooves g and engage normally the ribs g, whereby the clutchmember o and thecasmg-member d. will be normally clutched togetherfor 'interlocked YBetween the clutch-member o and the guidevtube fthere is interposed the front part f Yof the spindle n, viz., a connection-piece r having 'atreach end a. reduced projection its front endto the corresponding elements formed with a laterally-extending stud.

-The rear projection r is adapted to enter .a recess ox formed in the head o"l of the clutch-member o, whereupon the stud fr" enend of the tubular sheath 7L. Upon the projecting threaded end 0 of the clutch-member o there is screwed a hollow cup-shaped nut s within the lateral wall s of which fits slidably and snugly the rear or base end al of the casing-extension CZ; and this Vnut s is normally locked in place by the lock-nut t on the threaded end o. 4

F rom the foregoing description it will be obviouswthahthe coil-spring normally maintains the clutch-member o in clutching engagement or interlocked with the casingmember` d so that relative rotaton of the spindle. n and its connected guide-tube f 1s normally impossible. When, however, it is desired to feed forward the lead'lc, the operator presses forwardly the cupshaped nut s wherebyl the spindle n is pushed lengthwise toward the writing end of the pencil and the clutch-lingers pf are disengaged from the ribs g of the casingmember d,-.whereupon the spindle '11 the sheath L, theiguide-tube f, and the leadcarrier m nmay be turnedA relatively to the casing; and, as hereinbefore explained, such relative rotation Aresults in feeding forward the lead-carrier m and the lead lc carried by it. It is, however, `to be particularly observed that the pushing forward of the cup-shaped nuts also serves lto move lengthwise .the jaws g so that the latter are forced outwardly beyond the mouth of the bushingA c; and, being thus released, they ily' apart by their own resiliency, so tha-tthe lead 7c isreleased and is free to be moved lengthwise. feeding outwardly of the leadvc, the same Therefore, during the. rotation and is released entirely from the grippingaction l of the jaws g.

to 11, both "inclusive, the pencil is operated by pushing forward the nut s, in substan- A tially the same manner asin the case of the pencil illustrated in Fig.- 1, although the mechanism is somewhat ,dillerent The spindle n is formed at its frontend with 115 In theI modified formshown in Figs. .9

a clutch-member n* with which coperates the clutch-member n detachably connected Q with the guide-tube f audits sheath h by a studV r*. in"fthe same manner as that4 in' which the connection-piece-rris connected at l of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1. The

clutch-members n, n* are maintained normally separated by a coil-spring u and the spindle n is formed with a collar n* which bears normally against the base-end d of the casing-extension piece d". It will be obvious that the spindle n/ may be normally turned without in any way aifecting the position of the jaws g or the lead 76,' but when it is desired to feed the lead 7c forward, the user pushes the nut s forward along the casing-extension piece ZX until not only the rib w on the clutch-member n* engages in one of the grooves w in the front clutch-member n but also the jaws g have been thrust forward a distance sufficient to permit them to spring apart and release the lead 7u. T he user then turns the nut s and thereby feeds the lead forward, the mechanical operation being the same as that already explained in connection with the description of the pencil shown in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 12, there is illustrated a modified form which operates just the reverse of the form shown in Fig. 1; that is, the spindle and its connected parts are pulled rearwardly instead In this modified form it is the front part gX of the jaws which bear against the mouth of the nosepiece c; and, since this front part gX of the jaws slope inwardly toward the front, the lead k is relieved from the gripping action of the latter when they are withdrawn within the nosepiece c. In rear of the base of the jaws there is formed a collar g against which bears the front end of the coil-spring y' whereby the jaws gX are pressed againsty the interior of the nosepiece c and thereby forced toward each other so as to grip the lead 7s firmly. The spindle is one-piece and its front end is formed with a stud 7** which Aengages in a notch f* in the guide-tube f and in a notch h* in the tubular sheath t in just the same way as the stud l1" of the front end of the connection-piece lr is joined or attached to the guide-tube and its tubular sheath h. in the form illustrated in Fig. 1. The rear' end of the casing-extension member cl* is formed with a cavity or socket .2 the lateral wall of which is grooved. 'nteriorly and formed with lengthwise-extending ribs g between the grooves g. The spindle is formed at its rear end with a boss p* having clutch-fingers p which extend lengthwise and forwardly and normally engage between the ribs g, whereby the casing-extension d* and the spindle are clutched together or interlocked normally. Upon the threaded end o of the spindle there is mounted a cupshaped nut s and a lock-nut 1?. By pulling to the rear upon the nut s (or its lock-nut t) the spindle ir is drawn to the rear against the tension of the coil-spring j and the of being pushed forwardly,

clutch-fingers p are disengaged from the ribs g', whereupon the spindle w is now free to be rotated. When the spindle a: is drawn to the rear, as just described, the jaws gX are drawn inwardly and within the nosepiece c and are thereby released from the confining action of the latter, whereupon the jaws gX now spring apart and release the lead 7c, so that the same may be turned free from the gripping action of the jaws.

Upon the threaded rear end o of the spindle n there is screwed a lock-nut t the rear end of which is reduced and eXteriorly threaded. Upon this reduced threaded rear end t there is screwed a carrier member 2 each end of which is formed with a socket. In the front socket 2f there is screwed a pencil-Sharpener 3 comprising a plurality of three-sided pyramidal cutters 4 the cutting edges 4 of which closely approach each other in passing from the outer end to the inner end of the sharpener (Fig. 8). Vfhen the lead needs sharpening, the user unscrews the carrier device 2 and, placing the end of the lead to be .pointed in the Sharpener 3, turns the lead yand the latter relatively to each other. Since the butt end mx of the lead is flattened, the lead will be held against turning during sharpening with the sharpener 3.

In the rear socket 2 of the carrier device 2 there is inserted a rubber eraser 5.

he cylindrical wall 6 of this rear socket 2 is slitted (as at 6') and is reduced and threaded exteriorly at its rear end 6 which is formed with a beveled face 6X at its outer extremity g, and upon. this eXteriorly-threaded rear end 6 there is mounted a nut 7 the interior of which isformed with a beveled face 7X that co-acts with the beveled face 6c formed on the socket 2. By screwing up the nut 7 the annular cam face GX ltravels over the annular cam face 7X and the wall 6 is made to grip or pinch the eraser 5, whereby the latter is held firmly. By unscrewing the nut 7, the eraser is'released and may be fed outwardly in order to compensate for wear. Y

lt is to be observed that the lock-nut t is normally kept tightly screwed against the nut s, since in the operation of feeding forward thel lead, it is obviously necessary that A be further observed that the con-i .of making the assemblage of the parts of the pencil easier. The guide-tube f is slidably itted in its sheath l?, so that it may be forcibly pulled out of the latter for purposes of repair or replacement; but the guide-tube is so held frictionally in the sheath h that in the normal operation of the pencil, the guide-tube f and its sheath h move both rotatably and longitudinally together. It is further to be noted that during the feeding forward of the lead,'the' lips g do not bear at all upon the lead, which feature results in less stress being thrown upon the brittle lead and permits the lips g to clamp with great lirmness the lead when the parts are in the ordinary writing position.

So far as known to me, I am the first to provide .a pencil in which the lead-gripping mechanism, which normallyhold the lead firmly, is released during the feeding of the lead.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with pencils which I now represent to be the preferred desire to have it understood that the pencils shown are only representative and that the invention maybe carried out by other means. Thus, theIl interior of the casing may be left smooth and free from parts interlock with the lead-feeding mechanism (Fig. 14) so as to maintain the latter normally locked 0r inoperative; and other means than those herein shown and described may be providedA for releasing the grip of the jaws upon the lead and feeding the same lengthwise.

I claim: 1. A pencil including a casing; lead-gripping jaws; a lead-holder; lead-holder-feeding mechamsm; and means for releasing the the lead, when said grip of said jaws upon is out of engagement with said lead-holder jaws; said said lead-holder-feeding mechanism.

2. A pencil including' a casing formed with a nose-piece; yielding lead-gripping jaws normally held in gripping position by said nose-piece; `lead-holder feeding mechamsm; and means by which said jaws are moved relatively'to said nose-piece andV are disengaged from-the casing and permitted to spring apart, when said lead-holder is out of engagement with said jaws; said 'means being arranged to actuate said leadholder-feeding mechanism. j

' l. A pencil including a slidable guidetube formed with lead-gripping jaws; a casing the pencil end of which presses said jaws into gripping position; a lead-holder which is carried by and slidable relatively to said guide-tube and is in engagementv embodiments thereof; but I which would means being arranged to actuate with said casing; and means by which'said guide-tube is moved lengthwise relatively to said casing to disengage said jaws from said casing and thereby to permit said jaws to spring apart, when said lead-holder is out of engagement with said jaws; said means being arranged to turn said leadholder relatively to the casing and thereby to feed the lead-holder.

4. A pencil including a casing; lead-grip'- ping jaws; a lead-holder; lead-holder-feeding mechanism; means for maintaining said mechanism inoperative; and mechanism for releasing the grip of said jaws upon the said closure being readily removable Ito permit access to be gainedfreely to the spare leads within said socket.

a socket for the receptionof'spareleads anda closure for saidsocket,

7. A pencil including a casing; a leadl holder in engagement therewith; means including a spindle and a nut mounted thereon for turning said lead-holder to feed the same, said, spindle being formed with Ya socket for the reception of spare leads; and a lock-nut which locks said nut on said spindle and closes the socket nformed therein. 8. Apencil including a casing; lead-gripping jaws'; a lead-holder; -a spring for maintaining said casing and jaws in engagement and said jaws closed upon the lead; and mechanism for disengaglng said casing and jaws and feeding said leadholder.

9. A pencil including a casing f ormed with a nose-piece; yielding lead-gripping jaws normally lheld in gripping pos1t 1 on thereby; a lead-holder; a spring for mamtaining said casing and jaws in engagement and said jaws closed upon the lead; and mechanism for disengaging said casing and jaws and feeding saidvlead-holder. 10. A pencil including a` slidable guidetube formed with lead-gripping jaws; a casing the pencil end of which presses said jaws into gripping position.; a lead-holder which -is carried by and slidable -relatively to said guide-tube and is in engagement with said casing; a spring for mamtalnmg said casing and jaws 'in engagement and county, and State of New York, this seventh said jaws closed upon the lead; and mechaday of November, 1913, in the presence of nism for moving said guide-tube lengthwise lthe two undersigned witnesses. lto disengage said jaws and casing and for H. B 5 turning said guide-tube to feed said leadl Witnesses:

holderlengthwise. JAMES HAMiLToN,

Signed at the borough of Manhattan, city, WILLIAM H. GEE. 

